By Vic Sollorano

Rock and roll is full of surprises, and more than sheer talent and artistry and musicality, musicians need luck—lots of it—to turn their dream into reality.

Punk rock band Top Junk has been pulling surprises in the two years of its existence, first and foremost with its musicality and artistry and originality, but its members know they’ve still got a long way to go and being at the top of the heap remains the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

Vocalist Marizel Sarangelo, a.k.a. Tuesday Vargas the television comedian-actress, views that whole dreamboat idealism of fame and fortune in the sober tones of someone grounded on reality. (In contrast, their songs give fans a high that certainly give the alcohol—and whatever else is—in their blood a boost.)

Her life revolves on the world of entertainment and domestic realm she has created and whose significant persons are son Kaya and bandmate and partner Jerico Placido. “Top Junk’s main intention from day one was just to create a venue for release,” says Marizel. “If fame is showered upon us, then that is the kind of incentive that is welcome.”

The band is mainly focused on making music “that will satisfy us more than anybody else, because we are its main critics,” Marizel adds.

There is also this tacit universal truth that making it in the music scene is quite difficult and, says Marizel, “troublesome.”

Despite this, the band plows through their daily existence knowing another gig, another chance to hangout and enjoy each other’s company and imbibe the tipsy scene are certainly on the way.

Placido, who plays bass in the band and is the guitarist for the other rock group Session Road, looks at the whole rock and roll scene from a cosmic standpoint. “Making music is our attempt basically to postpone mortality. Playing with the band is gainful for our sanity, or perhaps it’s the other way around. We are but repositories for this vibrant truth that dwell in everyone else and we’re just simply devoting what’s left of our tipsy lives to coming up with something worthwhile and enjoyable. I personally think the energy’s coming from our bellies.”

He writes most of the Top Junk songs and finds inspiration in all things good and bad. “You have to be keen with the details of this world, because almost everything that exists is, in some way, inspirational.

Guitarist Tim Panganiban, who is also a call center agent, was heavily into rock since he was 11 and began to learn the guitar at 14 after listening to a song of the late legend Jimi Hendrix blew him away.

Panganiban co-wrties some of the Top Junk songs with Placido. He draws inspiration from other people, his emotions, his personal experience, especially those that “just tap your heart and head to come up with something musical. “It’s a reaction to those sources mentioned,” says Panganiban.


Top Junk, despite it’s mere two years of being a band, has shown a kind of dedication to its sound that reflects what Panganiban describes as “love for the music that they create.” He says with love and dedication “everything will fall into place sooner or late.”

Tenten Abella, Top Junk’s booking manager, knows that these are ingredients necessary for the band to succeed. Herself the vocalist for the pop rock band Puny Earthlings, Abella says “Alam nating lahat ang sikat ngayon ‘yung putok sa masa. I’m talking here financially. Lahat naman ng band nag-struggle yan.”

Apart from managing Top Junk’s gigs—it can be at the Freedom Bar in Quezon City, or Saguijo in Makati, or Club Dred in Libis, or Bar 45 in Kammuning—and managing her own band, Abella also divides her time with a day job as layout artist for the Rotary Club of Makati.

She knows the taste and feel of survival. “Subjective talaga ang survival. Survival for me if kung gaano ka na katagal sa industria (and at the same time being able to satisfy yourself), ang band mo, and at the same time (you able to share) sa mga tao ‘yung music mo.”

With a five-song demo CD, Top Junk is selling its music to the world. Sa Isip Mo, engineered by Mark Escueta and recorded and mixed at the Birdhouse, has become an anthem for the band, its opening song during gigs. Raunchy, bouncy and catchy, Sa Isip Mo is a marriage of what Placido describes as words and melodies. As long as you have these two, “there will always be a cake to enjoy.”

Sarangelo sees the plight of Top Junk as that bittersweet—definitely not yellow brick—road to an elusive dream. “I believe none of us actually hope we could be millionaires because of this endeavor. I’m actually poorer now that I’m involved with Top Junk.”

That’s why each Top Junkie has another job to make ends meet. Drummer Dennis Leung, who wasn’t able to join the interview with personal fortune, is a product manager for the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“Hey! Money isn’t everything. Right?” quips Sarangelo. “Still it’s a big something. So a little green is actually nice. For now, let’s dance to this disco punk inferno. Cue the dream sequence…"



(This article appears in slightly different form in the January 2008 edition of Maxim magazine—vICsOL)